"I didn't know you could play the banjo," I said.

Kermit jumped. I had snuck up on him whilst he was playing his banjo in his dressing room and he hadn't heard me coming.

"Jinx, you scared me!" Kermit complained.

I held my paws up in apology. "Sorry," I said. I crept inside, shutting the door on my way in and perched on the arm of the seat Kermit was in.

"You're great," I said.

"You don't play the banjo too, do you?" Kermit asked.

I shook my head. "No," I said. "But I play the guitar."

Kermit's banjo music faded to silence, he looked at me. "Really?" he said. "How's your singing?"

I shrugged. "OK."

I was being modest. I remembered when I went to stay with my relatives last Christmas and I sang for them, everyone marvelled and said I was brilliant.

"Well how's about you go down to the basement to see if we have any spare guitars," Kermit said. "Bring one up here, and we can have a little practice."

I grinned. "Sounds cool," I said.

Little did I know what jealous person was lurking outside, listening to our every word.

~::~

The Muppets' basement was basically like a huge cupboard. There were costumes and music stands and weird props here and there (a fish?!) but the place was mostly full of musical instruments. There were loads and loads of guitars. I twanged a few notes on some, plucked a few on others. I remembered my guitar at home; it was purple with sparkly blue lightning bolts. I sighed and picked up the one most similar to it, a black electric and took it upstairs.

Kermit taught me a piece called 'Rainbow Connection'. He explained that it was usually done on the banjo but with a bit of note adjusting, it could be played on any string instrument. It was harder than it looked, but I stuck it out for half an hour to show willing.

"You're sounding good," Kermit said.

I smiled but said nothing.

"You know, we could get you on the show…somehow. I'm sure you'd be great, Jinx."

"Do you really think so?" I asked, delighted.

"Sure. Not this song though, it's kind of…personal."

I shrugged and twanged a string on my guitar, trying not to look intrigued. "Fair enough."

"How about…" Kermit flipped through some records, scanned through some CDs. Not much prevail.

"Or…I could write my own song?" I suggested.

Kermit stopped, he turned around. "Could you really?"

"Sure," I said. "I've already written a song before, actually. Shall I show you?"

Kermit sat down in front of me. "Yeah! I'd love to hear it."

I strummed a few notes as a warm up. "It's called 'Black Cat's Luck'."

So I played. 'Black Cat's Luck' was a song I'd always wanted to play because it summed up all my thoughts on bad luck. It didn't seem appropriate anymore, since I'd joined the Muppets, all my luck had turned around. At least, I hoped.

When I'd finished, Kermit clapped me. "It's great!" he said.

I shrugged modestly. "It's not really true," I admitted.

"Doesn't have to be," Kermit replied. "I mean it, Jinx. Next week, you've got to be on the show. They'll love you! I'll organise something."

"Not the opening act!" I said. "I…don't like being first."

"Alright, not the opening act. I could do you…the finale, or something?"

Jinx the Cat, closing number on the Muppet Show. Never thought I'd see the day.

"Fantastic," I said. "Sounds good to me."

Kermit grinned. "So it's settled. I'll tell the others, book your slot."

"Great."

I left his dressing room in a daze, I had an act! Maybe I was finally part of the Muppet family!

Or then again maybe not.

As soon as I was outside, someone grabbed me by the collar and shoved me against a wall.

Piggy.

"And what do you think you're doing, kitty?" she snarled.

I made a strangled noise. "Piggy, listen, I-"

"It's Miss Piggy to you," she snapped. "Listen, buster, I heard you in there with that little green toad."

"He's not a toad, he's a frog."

The grip on my neck tightened.

Sensing that I was in trouble, I decided that being a smart aleck was not the best decision.

"We were just singing," I whimpered. "Nothing else."

"Singing?" she scoffed. "So you want to be a big star, eh? Dreams of fame, fortune?"

Well, that was precisely what I wanted, but I sensed it wasn't quite the right thing to say.

"Do you know what I do with my work rivals?"

I had a couple of ideas.

"I throw them off the stage!" she declared.

"Metaphorically?" I asked.

"Literally," she corrected, throwing me down on the floor.

I tried to crawl away but she stuck her foot out and pushed me back against the wall with the heel of her shoe.

"Listen to me, hairball," she said. "You are not part of this family and you never will be."

Rage flooded through me. How did she know that being part of this family was all I wanted? I'd already lost my first family, how could she take this one away from me too?

"Take that back," I demanded.

Miss Piggy smirked knowing she'd hit a nerve. "Make me."

I got to my feet and fixed her with a cold, hard glare.

"Take it back, now."

She put her face very close to mine. Still smirking, she said: "Not. A. Chance."

So I lashed out. I didn't mean to, it just sort of happened. I made her lip bleed so she looked like she was wearing red lipstick down her chin.

"Why you little-"

And the second fight in only two days was on.

She karate-chopped me across my head and I fell. She aimed a kick but I ducked and crawled away. I scratched her leg with my sharp claws and scrambling to my feet, I bit her elbow.

She punched me once, twice, three times in the stomach. Then, she grabbed my wrist and twisted it until it felt like it would come off. I screamed in pain.

"Help!" I cried. "Somebody help me! Ow!"

Miss Piggy pulled me in very close and hissed: "Yell one more time and it comes straight off. Understand?"

I nodded, gritting my teeth to stop myself from making a noise. "I'm not scared of you," I snarled, lying through my teeth.

"Oh really?" Miss Piggy challenged. "We'll see about that."

God knows what she would have done next if I hadn't been rescued.

"What on earth is going on out here?!"

Kermit emerged from his dressing room and tore us apart.

Miss Piggy and I made faces at each other.

"This is the second fight between you two in less than a week! What do you have to say for yourselves?"

We were both silent.

"It's just getting ridiculous," Kermit went on. "I don't know what to do about it."

"Well it's your fault for letting this…" Miss Piggy studied me for a few seconds. "…creature into our home," she announced. And with that, she just up and left.

I stared after her, gobsmacked at her cheek.

I looked back at Kermit. "Are you going to let her get away with that?" I asked.

Kermit sighed. He was looking at Miss Piggy wistfully. "What choice do I have?" he said. "No-one can tell Piggy what to do."

I chewed my lip. "Listen, Kermit," I said. "I didn't start the fight, or the rivalry for that matter, and it wasn't my fault at all. But for what it's worth…I'm really sorry."

Miss Piggy may have been too stubborn to apologise, but I certainly wasn't.

"It's alright, Jinx."

"I shouldn't have done anything, but she's just so damn provoking! She knows just how to push all of the right buttons."

"And don't we know it."

"Kermit? This…hasn't changed anything, right?" I checked. "We're still on for next week, right?"

He sighed. "I hope so. I'm just going to figure out how."

Suddenly, my big, powerful boss didn't look so big or powerful.